Being safe meeting the first time

[Happee2]

Hi everyone, I love reading all the stories of you!

Myself I have a boyfriend from India, we are almost 1,5 year togheter. He can not get a visa for netherlands (where I live) so we need to meet in an other country.
But I feel it's maybe not the most wise thing to do: to travel alone as a 27yo girl and meet my love who I never met before (I met him on the internet).
How did you make sure you were safe meeting your love? Are there any things that I can do to make sure nothing can happen?

Thank you very much in advance!

[Paljarwani]

Im sorry to hear he is unable to get a visa to your country. Does your family know about your relationship? Perhaps you can bring a family member the supports your relationship? It does mean that you will have a third person to concern yourself with while you are there visiting.

[kittyo9]

Just use common sense and follow the same precautions that you would follow if you were traveling for pleasure. Generally, it is better to meet in a public place (such as the airport) and to stay in public for as long as possible (i.e. share a taxi ride, go out to dinner, take a walk in a public location) before going to somewhere isolated for an extended period of time. You should research the area that you will be staying in, identify your nearest Embassy/Consulate, and have a plan for what you will do if you don't like each other, if you feel unsafe with your SO, or if something happens like you lose your cards or travel documents. That usually includes having a backup location to stay and access to emergency funds of some kind. You can also have someone who you periodically check in with (parents, siblings, friends) to let them know how things are going and where you'll be for the day, in case something happens. In the US, we have the option to register our travel with the government-- maybe the Netherlands has something similar.

You are already a step ahead by thinking about this in advance-- I hope you're able to have a safe and fun trip!

[autumn1790]

I flew to India to meet my dude after two years (and a few months) of talking online....I went with my sister and her husband, who is also from India. I didn't feel unsafe meeting him, but traveling alone and being in a country known for ill treatment of young girls was not appealing. We met at a mall and spent the afternoon there with my sister, brother-in-law, and my sister's sister-in-law. Use common sense and all should go well.
Side note...I understand how irritating it is that it's so hard to get a tourist visa from India. I hope you find a way to be together soon!

[Happee2]

Thank you all so much for replying! I hope we can meet asap